Pole fitting for clothes hanger rack



G. M. ELLIS 3,144,946

POLE FITTING FOR CLOTHES HANGER RACK Filed Dec. 18, 1961 Aug. 18, 1964 FIG../

36/ INVENTOR. GEORGE MILTON ELL/5 H/S A 7' TO/PNEYS United States Patent 3,144,946 POLE FITTllNG FOR CLOTHES HANGER RACK George Milton Ellis, 11981 Magdalena Ave, Los Altos Hills, Calif. Filed Dec. 18, 1961, Ser. No. 159,977 4 'Clairns. (Cl. 211-182) This invention relates to pipe fittings and more particularly to a fitting for a clothes hanger pole and the uprights therefor.

The present invention has as one of its objects to provide a novel corner joint or corner coupling for connecting the respective ends of a clothes hanger pole to standards or uprights.

It is another object of this invention to provide corner joints so constructed as to cause the horizontal pole to flex to a crown in the span between the upper ends of the uprights. In this connection it is a further object to provide a corner coupling for interconnectable rods and tubes having sleeve and stud connectors which are at a slightly greater than right angle with respect to each other. This object contemplates the provision of a corner coupling in which the included angle between such sleeve and stud is an obtuse angle tending to flex the horizontal pole into a crown contour.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following description when read in the light of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of a clothes hanger rack embodying the corner coupling or fitting of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 showing the clothes hanger rack in use.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the corner coupling fitting of the present invention.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are a composite of details of the components of the clothes hanger rack embodying the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a cross section through the hanger pole of FIG. 4 taken along line 7-7 thereof and showing the fitting of the present invention in elevation from the inner side of the rack.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the corner coupling fitting of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings 10 indicates a device for training children to hang up their clothing and for teaching children to keep their clothing, shoes and other wearing apparel neat and orderly.

The training device 10 comprises a base 11 supporting a clothes hanger rack 12 including a pair of standards 13 and 14 which extend upwardly in spaced parallel relation to support a horizontal bar or rod 15 upon which to hang clothes hangers.

The base 11 is preferably in the form of a receptacle such as a large pan 16 in which children can keep their shoes, toys and the like in orderly array. The clothes hanger aspect 12 of the device consists of the standards 13 and 14 as well as the horizontal rod or bar 15 between the upper ends thereof.

For purposes of compactness the components of the entire device are made demountable as a knocked down kit. In this manner all of the parts of the device can be packed into the common base for shipping as well as storage so as to save space. The several parts are easily assembled in a manner well known in the art by the pro- 3,144,946 Patented Aug. 18, 1964 vision of sockets at each end of the base 16, one such socket 17 being shown in sectional detail in FIG. 6.

The uprights or standards 13 and 14 are simply arranged by inserting their lower ends 18 in the socket at the respective ends of the base.

The present invention has to do with a novel fitting 21 by which to secure the ends of the bar or rod 15 to the upper ends of the respective standards 13 and 14. The invention resides in the novel shape and form of these fittings 211 which in combination with the rod 15 results in a binding action being exerted on the standards to flex them into binding relation with the sockets in which their lower ends are disposed.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 7 both standards 13 and 14 are metal tubular members. The rod 15 may also be a metal tube but for purposes of this invention a wood rod is shown.

The fitting 20 as shown in FIGS. 3, 4, '7 and 8 is a die cast metal unit 21 in the form of a corner joint or coupling. In this respect the fitting comprises a sleeve portion 22 and a stud 23 which extends radially from the sleeve. The stud 23 is formed integrally with the wall of the sleeve 22 and is of a length and diameter to have frictional sliding fit into the open upper end 25 of the tubular standard 13 or 14 as the case may be.

The sleeve 22 has an internal diameter such as to slidingly receive one end 26 of the rod 15'. In the form shown in the drawings the sleeve 22 traverses, T fashion, the upper end of the stud 23 so that the end 26 of the rod 15 crosses the top of the standard 13 or 14 to which the fitting 20 is joined.

For purposes of orientation it will be noted that the clothes rack aspect 12 is disposed in a vertical plane congruent to the fore to aft or longitudinal axis of the base or pan 16. Consequently the axis a of the sleeve 22 and the axis 1) of the stud 23 as best seen in FIG. 7 are disposed in this vertical plane, lengthwise of the rack arrangement 12. However, when viewed from the side, as best illustrated in FIG. 3, the inner or included angle A between the standard 13 or 14 and pole 15 is greater than degrees and therefore an obtuse angle. The increment beyond right angle is slight. As shown in FIG. 3 the included angle A is greater than 90 degrees by an angle B of 2 /2 degrees so that the whole included angle totals 92 /2 degrees. This has been found sufiicient to affect the binding action previously mentioned.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 3 it will be noted that the rod 15 becomes bowed slightly by reason of its angle of projection from the fittings 21) from which its ends extend. In effect the fittings 20 give the rod 15 a crown curvature. By its own resiliency the pole or rod 15 tends to assume a straight condition or right angle disposition with respect to the standards 13 and 14. This impresses a lever type force upon the fitting 20 in a downward direction from within the rack 12 in the plane in which the rack is disposed. Since the lug or stud 23 under normal conditions would be vertically disposed co-axially with the vertical axis of the respective standard to which it is attached, it will be appreciated that the ends 20 of the pole or rod 15 tend to misalign with respect to the sleeve portions 22 of the respective fittings. Thus the ends 26 of the rod 15 are bindingly secured against accidental axial movement within the sleeves 22. By the same token the lug or stud 23 of each fitting tends to rock out-of axial alignment with the upper end of the 3 standard in which it is disposed. This impresses a binding action between the stud and tubular standard to likewise resist accidental axial movement between them.

In addition to the foregoing the standards 13 and 14 likewise have a lever type inward thrust impressed upon their upper ends and along the plane in which the rack 12 is disposed. This thrust tends to force the upper ends of the standards outwardly of the rack 12 theoretically causing the lower ends of the standards to rock at their respective sockets 17.

In FIG. 6 I have shown a simple form of socket 17 suitable for a prefabricated sheet metal type base 11 which is die stamped in the form of a pan or receptacle 16. In the present disclosure the socket 17 is formed in a strip of heavy gauge metal 31 bent at right angles to provide a vertical flange 32 disposed to lie parallel and in spaced relation to the fore or aft wall 33 of the pan 16 as the case may be. The other flange 34 of the metal strip 31 is disposed horizontally in spaced relation to the bottom 36 of the pan 16. The ends of these flanges 32 and 34 may be permanently secured to the bottom 36 and wall 33, respectively, in any suitable manner. In the present disclosure I have shown the strip 31 as including end lips 37 and 38 at the ends of the flanges 32 and 34 respectively. These lips 37 and 38 are disposed at right angles to the flanges of which they are a part so as to lie flush against the wall 33 and bottom 36 respectively of the base pan 16. The lips 37 and 38 are permanently secured to the respective wall and bottom as by spot welding or the like.

The vertical flange 32 has a portion 39 thereof punched inwardly of the right angle shape of the metal strip 31. The portion 39 is connected to the flange 32 at the bottom only and is bent at right angles to the flange 32 so as to be disposed substantially parallel to and spaced from the flange 34 as well as the bottom 36 of the pan. The portion 39 is of a length and width sufiiciently greater than the diameter of the bottom end 18 of the standard 13 or 14 to have a bore of a diameter comparable to the outside diameter of such standard. The two horizontal portions 34 and 39 of the metal strip 31 have axially aligned bores 40 and 41 respectively formed therein to provide the socket 17. These bores are of a diameter to receive the lower end 18 of one of the standards 13 or 14 with an easy sliding frictional fit when the bores are aligned. The extreme end of the standard rests upon the bottom 36 of the pan 16.

It should here be noted that the portion 39 is normally not quite parallel to the upper flange 34 but can be depressed by finger pressure to align the bore 41 so that it can slidably receive the standard. Consequently upon release of finger against portion 39 the latter tends to flex toward normal and thus bind the lower end 18 of the standard to secure the latter within the socket 17. The aforementioned outward thrust at the top of the standards tends to spread the upper ends thereof apart and cause the lower ends 18 of the latter to bear against the flange 32 as at X or the outer segment of the bore 40 therein. This provides a fulcrum at X causing the lower end 18 of the standard to bear against the portion 39 as at Y of the inner segment of the bore 41 formed therein. The combined result of the bearing of the standard at spaced vertical planes tend to create a further binding action within the socket 17 thus formed to prevent accidental removal of the standards therefrom.

It should here be noted that the slight crown or bow into which the rod is stressed normally tends to affect the binding action at all the sliding fits between the components of the rack 12 as well as at the sockets 17 in the base 11. This stress is enhanced by the load of clothing hung by hangers on the rod 15. In the illustration of FIG. 2 deflection of the rod 15 by the load is exaggerated. Sufiice it to say that the thrust exerted on the various connections to create the binding actions therein is increased under loaded conditions of the hanger unit 10.

It will be noted in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5 that the standards 13 and 14 may be made adjustable lengthwise. To accomplish this each standard 13 and 14 is made in two sections of tubing L and U, the lower one L having an inner diameter comparable to the outside diameter of the upper one U to telescopically receive the same. A suitable collar 50 secured as by welding or the like to the upper end of the lower tube L has a tapped bore 51 for receiving the threaded shank 52 of a set screw 53. The inner end of the shank 52 passes through an aligned bore 54 in the tubing L so that the inner pointed end 55 of the set screw can bear against the wall of the upper tube U which slides within the lower tube to thereby secure the two tubes together as a fixed unit at any desired length possible with them. In this manner the clothes rack embodying the present invention is readily adjustable for children of various ages according to their height.

While I have described the fitting of the present invention in specific detail it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the same may be modified, varied and/or altered without departing from the spirit of my invention. I therefore desire to avail myself of all modifications, variations and/ or alterations as fairly come within the purview of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with the tubular uprights and rod of a clothes hanger rack, a corner coupling between each of said uprights and said rod, each said coupling comprising a sleeve portion for receiving the end of said rod, a stud portion adapted to have sliding frictional fit into the upper end of one of said tubular uprights, said stud portion projecting radially from said sleeve portion at an angle such that the included angle between said rod and said uprights is greater than degrees to impress a crown contour to the rod spanning between said corner couplings and thereby exert a binding action between said studs and the upper ends of said uprights.

2. In a clothes hanger rack of the type including a hanger rod supported between the upper ends of a pair of tubular uprights each having their lower ends slidably mounted in a separate socket in a common base, a corner coupling between the upper end of each of said uprights and said rod comprising a unitary casting having a sleeve portion adapted to have sliding friction fit with one end of said rod, and a stud portion adapted to have sliding frictional fit into the upper end of one of said tubular uprights and projecting radially from said sleeve portion at an obtuse angle relative to the open end of said sleeve such that a crown contour is impressed upon the rod spanning between said corner couplings whereby the tendency of such rod to assume a straight condition exerts a binding action between the ends of said rods and the sleeve portions receiving the same.

3. In a clothes hanger rack of the type including a hanger rod supported between the upper ends of a pair of tubular uprights each having their lower ends slidably mounted in a separate socket in a common base, a corner coupling between the upper end of each of said uprights and said rod comprising a unitary casting having a sleeve portion adapted to have sliding friction fit with one end of said rod, and a stud portion adapted to have sliding frictional fit into the upper end of one of said tubular uprights and projecting radially from said sleeve portion at an obtuse angle relative to the upper end of said sleeve such that a crown contour is impressed upon the rod spanning between said corner couplings whereby the tendency of such rod to assume a straight condition exerts a binding action between the ends of said rods and the sleeve portions receiving the same and between the stud portions and the upper end of the standard receiving such stud portion.

4. In a clothes hanger rack of the type including a pair of tubular standards extending upwardly from sockets in a base and a cross bar between the upper ends of said standards; a corner coupling at the upper end of each said standard comprising a die casting formed to provide a sleeve for receiving one end of said cross bar, and a stud adapted to fit said tubular standard and extending radially from said sleeve at one obtuse angle relative to the open end of said sleeve for impressing a crown curvature to said cross bar whereby the tendency of said cross bar to assume straight condition creates a binding action between said bar and sleeves, said studs and standards and said standards and the sockets in said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Nelson July 3, 1917 Jones 1.- Sept. 7, 1926 Mazet Dec. 7, 1943 Bershad June 14, 1949 Mendle Dec. 12, 1950 Pataky 0 Aug. 23, 1960 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH THE TUBULAR UPRIGHTS AND RODS OF A CLOTHES HANGER RACK, A CORNER COUPLING BETWEEN EACH OF SAID UPRIGHTS AND SAID ROD, EACH SAID COUPLING COMPRISING A SLEEVE PORTION FOR RECEIVING THE END OF SAID ROD, A STUD PORTION ADAPTED TO HAVE SLIDING FRICTIONAL FIT INTO THE UPPER END OF ONE OF SAID TUBULAR UPRIGHTS, SAID STUD PORTION PROJECTING RADIALLY FROM SAID SLEEVE PORTION AT AN ANGLE SUCH THAT THE INCLUDED ANGLE BETWEEN SAID ROD AND SAID UPRIGHTS IS GREATHER THAN 90 DEGREES TO IMPRESS A CROWN CONTOUR TO THE ROD SPANNING BETWEEN SAID CORNER COUPLINGS AND THEREBY EXERT A BINDING ACTION BETWEEN SAID STUDS AND THE UPPER ENDS OF SAID UPRIGHTS. 